Well, yes, you can initiate the application for Kenya good
conduct certificate online. That is something you can do through the eCitizen
portal. Just follow these 4 simple steps:
- Just go to the eCitizen portal, by entering its address (ecitizen.go.ke) into your browser.
- Once you are at the eCitizen portal, click on the ‘Sign In’ link, which is found on the top right hand corner.
- After clicking on the ‘Sign In’ link, enter your email address or ID number and password to log in. If you don’t have an eCitizen account, click on the ‘create an account’ link, go through the motions of setting up an eCitizen account, then log in.
- After signing into the eCitizen account, browse to the ‘directorate of criminal investigations’ section, then click on the ‘Get Service Now’ link.
- The next step is to click on the ‘Make Application’ button, then select ‘Police Clearance Certificate’, click to indicate that you wish to 'apply now' and then make the required payment. Thereafter, fill in the required information.
You, however, have to understand that you won’t be able to
complete the Kenya certificate of good conduct application online. There is an important
step, in the Kenya certificate of good conduct application process, that
entails fingerprinting. So this means that having completed the online bit, you
will have to go to a police station, for fingerprinting (previously, the
requirement used to be that you’d have to go to the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations/CID headquarters for the fingerprinting bit). This fingerprinting
is important, because it is the basis on which your clearance is worked out. See,
when people are arrested for various crimes, they are fingerprinted, and their
fingerprints put in CID records. Therefore, I was informed that if your
fingerprints don’t appear in those records, it means that you haven’t been
arrested for some sort of a crime in the recent past and police go ahead to
clear you with the good conduct certificate.
Someone
will ask what is the point of online application for certificate of good conduct,
if you still have to go to a police station or to CID headquarters for
fingerprinting. But the truth, as many people will tell you, is that the
process of obtaining a Kenya Police clearance certificate aka Kenya certificate
of good conduct has become much easier and less time consuming after the
introduction of the online application system. Previously, all aspects of Kenya
good conduct application used to be done at CID headquarters. Nowadays, only
one aspect, namely that of fingerprinting, is done at CID headquarters/at police stations, and
that is surely a great relief to the applicants.
